Background

Where was your character born?
Derek was born on a caravan route between Riddick’s pass and Sarti.

Who raised him?
His mother died in the birthing and he was raised by his father Dienekes Arkantos and his uncle (his father’s younger brother) Orion Arkantos.

What was happening in the region when your character was growing up?
Riddick’s pass is not just a town, but clearly a place of collective trails and caravan routes through mountains. Though there are obviously easily made paths, not all are safe, and often are damaged or ruined by beasts, gods, sorcery or storms. As war began happening the roads were eventually made more stable for the ease of transportation of goods and troops between posts, but it had the effect that led to a slow uprising of bandits and rebels who would prey on caravan’s and travelers as well as military factions of rival nations.

Does your character have any relatives?
His uncle and father had long since dead. Orion died when Derek was 17, killed by bandits, though Dienekes believes there may have been more then simple theft. It was at this point that Dienekes, a stern man who had always been more intense and protective of both his brother and his son, had a sort of mental breakdown. Dienekes believed that it was not in fact bandits that killed his brother but, something darker and sinister that Orion may have gotten mixed up in indirectly. It was at this point that he stopped being a caravan guard and guide and searched towns for bounties on thieves and rouges in the wastes, searching for his brothers killers. It was clearly a fools quest, as it seemed that Dienekes was more interested in ending his own life then bringing anyone real justice. He took greater and greater risks until he led a charge against a party of fleeing Halflings in the desert. The last thing Derek saw of his father was a Halfling chief ripping his fathers heart from a still shrieking body and holding the bloody remains in his hands before he fell to devouring the soon to be corpse with the rest of his clan.
.

Motivation

What are your character’s immediate goals? What would he like to do in the coming year?
Despite his recent tragedies Derek has no immediate goals or high plans for revenge. His own psyche is troubled, and it seems to him that the voices of his uncle and father argue constantly in his head. His uncle is the lighthearted happy-go-lucky brother, encouraging him to enjoy life and live it to the fullest, while his father encourages him to be thrifty, hard-working and focused. His ‘goals’ therefore fluctuate on what particular mood he may be in. Colossal mirth and giant melancholy, depending on which voice he hears in his head.

What are his long-term goals?
His long-term abstract goals are to end much of the warring between the cities. Ultimately, he has no concrete plans. His goals are survival, but they tend to modify by his company. With his recent companion he is now becoming slowly more introspective and considering more then just the daily grind of just living.

What type of person would be his ideal mate?
Derek himself couldn’t honestly answer that question, but realistically it would need to be someone who constantly challenged him. He would need a constant Yin to his Yang, and vice versa, when his mood changed. A woman who was a capricious as the wind, who would sternly chastise him for drinking too much because she loves him, or encourage him to go one more round because he’s being too ‘dull’ because she doesn’t want to see him so depressed and somber. Ultimately he would need a woman who would want to take care of him, and at the same time a woman he would need to save.

Who is his patron deity? Is he a devout worshiper?
Gods are kind of like the sun. It’s pretty clear they’re out there, and they affect his life, in a pretty obvious way, but why pray to the sun? If it’s going to be hot, it will be hot, whether you pray or not. If it will be cloudy, it will be cloudy, no matter what you pray for. He respects the gods pretty equally, no harm being polite, but he’s not really religious.

Is he a devout member of any nonreligious cause?
Not really, he is a mercenary at this point, just looking to make a GP.

Is there any race, creed, alignment, religion or the like against which he is strongly prejudiced?
Sure, absolutely. He pretty much hates things that piss him off. So really, it’s not technically prejudice as much as a case by case basis. Actually, he might even know a few decent Halflings, when the mood is right. Come to think of it, nah… he doesn’t hate anybody.

What is his greatest fear?
He doesn’t really have a ‘greatest’ fear. Things scare him, sure, but as for the ‘greatest’ fear? Well, he’ll let you know when he gets there.

What is the one task he absolutely refuses to do?
He won’t kill innocents. He may torture them to get them to talk, or rough them up a little, but he won’t kill them. Think Bruce Wayne’s line “I won’t kill you, but I don’t have to save you, either.”
.

Idiosyncrasies

What is your character’s motto or favorite saying?
“We got a deal, mate?”

What is his favorite color?
Favorite color? Gods, who has time for all this? You’re in the shit, living day to day and you’re trying to survive, and some bloke is beating down your door looking to know what kind of colors you like? What’s next: how silky me pantaloons are? Color don’t matter, much, mate. You take what works and that’s’ that.

Describe what he would wear if money were no object?
Something tough and comfortable, preferably. I’d rather not look like a sod, though, but whatever works, works.

What is his favorite food? Drink?
Wow, finally, an IMPORTANT question. Right, so, rack of lamb, seasoned with salt and pepper, and a little mustard seed. Broiled with raisins and figs, served over rice and nuts, when the meat gravy is dripping all over the rice into pretty much like a thick stew or sauce, and you just slop it up with thick chunks of bread and crumbled feta. As for me drink? I’d have a cold brew, ice cold; as in you get a gods-damned ice-drake to chill the glass right before you pour it, then down that bitch with every greasy, spicy taste of the lamb meat, and afterward I’d kick back in some carpeted tent watching an elf-maiden dance while smoking some desert weed and enjoying a cup of fresh brewed coffee as the fire’s all hot and the rooms getting smokey… well, you can gather the rest.

What is his favorite animal?
Definitely NOT camels. Those bastards spit and stink. Horses aren’t bad, though. ‘Course, I’ve always been partial to falcons and hawks.

What habits of his friends annoy him most?
Stupidity annoys him the most. Putting your life at risk and then having to go rescue you because you did something colossally stupid’s okay if the dame is a as beautiful as the fires of a golden mountain, but it gets real old, real fast, if stupidity comes from your friends. That’s how people get hurt and dead, and you with them.
.

Traits:

(rank each trait from 1 to 10)

Courtesy 6

Valor 6

Self-sacrifice 5

Generosity 8

Sobriety 5

Calm temper 6

Optimism 9

Curiosity 7

Forgiveness 6

Cheerfulness 8

Patience 4

Honesty 8

Helpfulness 9

Loyalty 7

.

Miscellaneous

What well-known media figure from sports, movies or politics most closely resembles your character?
You know Bill O’Reilley? My character’s the guy who killed him! But seriously… as for movies, he is a combination of Nathan Bumpo from Last of the Mohicans and Kevin Costner’s character from Waterworld. Also, toss in a little bit of any of the Clint Eastwood western movies, because he looks good with a squint and tobacco.

What would be his theme song?
Shipping off to Boston, Dropkick Murpheys

If his friends were to write his epitaph, what would it be?
Dear Gods; this is Derek Arkantos… we give him to Thy holy keeping; try not to piss him off